iLounge

Elokence’s popular Akinator the Genie app ($2) has just been optimized for the iPhone 5. For those unfamiliar with the title, Akinator is a genie who guesses what real or fictional character you’re thinking of through yes-or-no questions and a surprisingly robust database. Results can be shared on Facebook, and the 12+ rated app also has a child filter so kids can play safely. People you know can also be added to the game through customization, and the database continues to grow through user-submitted results. If you want to sample the content for free, the Akinator website will give you a good idea of what to expect.

Though it has supported the iPad for quite some time, The Atlantic Magazine: Digital Edition (free) is now also formatted for the iPhone after a recent update, which includes adjustable font size and navigation elements that can be hidden on article pages. Also included in the app’s update is the magazine’s Sexes section, which “explores how the changing balance of power between men and women is transforming society.” Subscribers get free digital magazine access, of course, but the price for a single issue has gone up for non-subscribers: it’s now $7 for a single digital issue, instead of $5.

MLB.com’s MLB At Bat, billed as “the #1 sports app of all-time,” has been updated for the 2013 season. The newest update features live Spring Training games from the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues. At Bat is a freemium app — the free app offers live scores, news, standings, and stats, but the paid subscription — $3 a month, or $20 for the entire season from Spring Training through the World Series — adds live radio broadcasts and live video look-ins for certain games. This year’s edition also adds multi-platform live audio access, updated sections and statistics, and a classic games library.

One of the most interesting iOS games so far this year is Simogo’s Year Walk ($4), a moody, unsettling adventure. Using ominous music, bizarre occurrences, and a stark, snowy setting, Year Walk is a swipe-controlled first-person maze-style game without walls. Often, as you search the landscape, you’ll hear nothing but your character’s footsteps in the snow as you search for meaning — who is that floating figure and why did she disappear into that tree? What’s in the box? What is the point of all this? To really amp up the immersive experience, you can try playing with headphones on in a dark room, or at night. Certainly not for the impatient, or the easily-spooked, Year Walk offers no visible goals or directions from the outset, and builds up the mystery as you continue on. The free Year Walk Companion app can provide some background into the “almost entirely forgotten” ancient Swedish practice of year walking, and also, a few clues as to what you might see in the game.